News and Information

Stephen Spare, MD, joined the Franciscan Medical Group today as the new president and chief medical officer of the regional network of clinics, physicians and other providers.

“I look forward to helping the dynamic Franciscan Medical Group fulfill its mission, implement innovative programs that will further improve the complete patient experience, and expand its essential role in the community’s health care safety net,” Dr. Spare said.

The medical group’s physicians and other providers in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties represent more than 45 medical specialties.

“Steve is a highly respected physician who has a wealth of clinical and administrative experience,” Franciscan Health System Chief Executive Officer Joe Wilczek said. “Given his solid clinical expertise and his track record for successful implementation of organizational changes that drive growth and enhance patient outcomes, he is the right leader to ensure that Franciscan Medical Group remains the region’s preeminent, multi-specialty medical group.

Dr. Spare is a member of the American Board of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the American College of Physicians.

From 2000 until 2007, he was executive vice president of Forsyth Medical Group, a network of clinics affiliated with Novant Health based in Winston-Salem, N.C.

At Forsyth, Dr. Spare led the evolution from a de-centralized structure comprised of disparate practices to a cohesive medical group tightly integrated with its parent system. The medical group grew to include 43 sites, 340 providers and 1,500 employees under his leadership. Forsyth Medical Group’s emphasis on quality and clinical integration also led to its selection as one of only 10 medical groups nationwide to participate in the Medicare Physician Group Demonstration Project. The elite project explored models for improving operational efficiency and patient outcomes.

Dr. Spare served for six years as vice president and executive medical director of Presbyterian Medical Group, which is affiliated with Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, N.M. He practiced as an endocrinologist in Albuquerque, both in a specialty group and in private practice.

He has also chaired the board of directors for Healthcare Access, an organization that coordinates services for uninsured individuals in five counties in central North Carolina; consulted for physician groups and health systems; and served as a guest lecturer.

Dr. Spare received a degree in medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University in New Haven, Conn. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine, and a fellowship in endocrinology, at New England Medical Center in Boston.

He succeeds Dean Field, MD, as president and chief medical officer of Franciscan Medical Group. Dr. Field, who has served as the medical group’s senior executive since 2009, will transition into a new leadership role to be determined.